L3Harris Technologies has been awarded a new contract valued at nearly $400 million to produce additional solid rocket boost motors and Liquid Divert and Attitude Control Systems for the Missile Defense Agency’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.
The company will serve as a supplier to the prime contractor for THAAD, one of the nation’s primary defenses against short, medium and intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
“THAAD is the only U.S. system designed to intercept targets outside and inside the atmosphere, making it a critical part of the United States’ missile defense system,” said Ken Bedingfield, president of Missile Solutions at L3Harris. “THAAD is paramount to the security of this nation and our allies, and we are dedicated to delivering our proven propulsion for years to come.”
L3Harris manufactures inert components for THAAD solid rocket boost motors at its Huntsville site. The company also produces the boost motors in Camden, Arkansas, while the Liquid Divert and Attitude Control Systems, known as LDACS, are manufactured in Los Angeles. The LDACS thruster system helps guide THAAD’s kinetic kill vehicle during the final stages of an intercept.
According to the company, THAAD has a 100 percent success rate in intercept tests, completing 17 for 17 successful system intercepts since production began. In 2024, L3Harris announced it delivered its 1,000th solid rocket boost motor and 1,000th LDACS unit ahead of schedule.
Huntsville plays a significant role in L3Harris’ missile manufacturing footprint. The company employs more than 700 people locally across its operations, which produce critical inert components used in missile defense systems.
In August 2025, L3Harris opened a new advanced manufacturing facility in Huntsville known as AMF South. The facility spans more than six football fields and initially added about 40 jobs, with plans to create more than 100 additional positions in the coming years. The site complements the company’s existing 136,000 square foot Advanced Manufacturing Facility North, which opened in 2019.
L3Harris completed its acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne on July 28, 2023, consolidating solid rocket motor production under its Missile Solutions business. The division operates at multiple locations nationwide, including major facilities in Camden, Arkansas, Orange County, Virginia and Huntsville.
